Citizen Science light pollution map

[GSmith]

https://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-care-about/nature-and-landscapes/dark-skies/star-count-2021/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=SC2022_PastPax_SaveTheDate&utm_content=Star+Count+2022+past+pax+-+save+the+date

 

it only took 5 mins to participate last year and the results are pretty interesting! A useful addition to the usual dark sky maps.

2022 star count is running at end of Feb for 2 weeks.

 

 

[Roy Cropper]

Signed up

[DaveS]

Hmm... Stars.... I think I remember stars, but haven't seen them for ages. Do they still exist?

[SteveNickolls]

Cheers for the 'heads up', I will participate weather permitting. 

Cheers,
Steve

Edited January 24, 2022 by SteveNickolls

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

Seeing how many people last year in the local area took part and their results is interesting. Although I think the person a mile from me entering 26 stars must have double vision! I managed 14 but that was a particularly pristine night and I was dark adapted (as much as that is possible in the urban jungle). The average for the area was around 8-10.

Interestingly the largest cluster of results was in the more affluent southeast Liverpool suburbs. Access to better schools+financial security+decent housing = more likely to be interested in astronomy and science? Hmm.

[DaveS]

OK, being serious for a moment, although I entered results in the last two counts since I moved here I wonder how useful my count would be since my eyes appear to have problems with very faint points, as I've seen stars fuzz out slightly. Possible beginnings of cataracts.

[Swoop1]

Signed up. I wonder if I will do better than the 18 I managed last year?

[DavieH]

Will have a go at this, my garden seems really dark but I live in Bath and generally light pollution in the city is quite bad so would be interested to see the results.   

I guess that's the point, my garden might seem dark just because it's shielded from street lights by the house, but the background LP probably has more of an impact than I notice.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

48 minutes ago, DavieH said:

Will have a go at this, my garden seems really dark but I live in Bath and generally light pollution in the city is quite bad so would be interested to see the results.   

I guess that's the point, my garden might seem dark just because it's shielded from street lights by the house, but the background LP probably has more of an impact than I notice.

The more people who take part, the better. You may be helping to form future government policy by spending thirty minutes observing the sky from your garden. That's a small price to pay for potentially reduced future light pollution and quite enjoyable if you wrap up warm. 😀

[M40]

Signed up, thanks GSmith for the link 👍. Hopefully the clouds will part and the moon disappear long enough to actually see something. There are a few led street lights near us but not too many so it will be interesting.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

I almost forgot due to the poor weather... however tonight is clear, so before Orion disappeared behind neighbouring trees, the count was completed at 20:30. This year the grand total was a surprising 12. Seeing is good but the sky looks obviously washed out by light up to around 60°.

Edited March 5, 2022 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[happy-kat]

No luck here persistent cloud

[Mognet]

Did a count from my back garden last weekend with my girlfriend. She counted 13 and I could only see 7. Not sure how we managed to get that difference.

Skies here are apparently a Bortle 5, with the south having the worst view from light pollution

[Pete Presland]

Counted 12 when i did it, on a decent Moon free night. A couple more than i expected to be honest.

[Greymouser]

On 05/03/2022 at 20:42, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

I almost forgot due to the poor weather... however tonight is clear, so before Orion disappeared behind neighbouring trees, the count was completed at 20:30. This year the grand total was a surprising 12. Seeing is good but the sky looks obviously washed out by light up to around 60°.

12? Lucky you. I did it a few nights ago, only managed 8, though the conditions were poor. At least I was dark adapted then, what with the neighbour's light and the school illuminating their field, out the back, like a football stadium, tonight I only managed six.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

2 hours ago, Greymouser said:

12? Lucky you. I did it a few nights ago, only managed 8, though the conditions were poor. At least I was dark adapted then, what with the neighbour's light and the school illuminating their field, out the back, like a football stadium, tonight I only managed six.

Considering my dark sky is blue-grey the result was good. The last two nights have been incredibly clear though.

 

[M40]

Managed 17 on the 26th. I was hoping for more but using the "couldn't see any starlink satellites" as a guide, I am going to take that as a win.

[markse68]

The 2023 survey starts next Friday

https://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-care-about/nature-and-landscapes/dark-skies/star-count-2023/

Mark

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

16 hours ago, markse68 said:

The 2023 survey starts next Friday

https://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-care-about/nature-and-landscapes/dark-skies/star-count-2023/

Mark

Thanks. Signed up again and posted the link on the Society's FB. 👍

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

I cut it unbelievably fine this year to say the least.

Arriving home this evening at 18:45 on the final night of the count, I jumped out the car and did the count a minute or two before clouds rolled in from the east. Plus a bonus lovely first quarter moon and a Jupiter/Venus conjunction I dragged out the missus for (not literally 😀).

10 stars counted. I may have picked up another one or two in the rear garden and a degree of dark adaptation away from the cul de sac LED lamps. 🙄

Hopefully others had a bit more luck with the weather this year.

Edited February 26, 2023 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[markse68]

I managed 3- one from work, one from home (bortle 8 ish ) and one from Ashdown Forest (bortle 4) last night and was surprised I could only see a few more stars (15 vs 10) from the darker site, but the moon was really glaring in that darker sky! Much more glare than i’m used to- now i understand why imagers hate the moon lol- from my home site it doesn’t make nearly that much difference with the light pollution washing out the sky anyway. 

Mark